


Fragments of Reality and Daydreams

by Alice_Luna



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/M, Other characters do appear, Sometimes Canon Compliant, Sometimes fluffy, Writing Requests that I've recieved, sometimes a little sadder, sometimes canon divergent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 12,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25693126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alice_Luna/pseuds/Alice_Luna
Summary: A collection of writing requests focusing on Kaneki and Touka.
Relationships: Kaneki Ken | Sasaki Haise/Kirishima Touka
Comments: 4
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to this little collection of stories. As I've stated on Tumblr, I'm putting all of the writing requests that I've received onto AO3 in this fun little collection. Please read the beginning notes for a little summary of each story. I hope that you enjoy it. Thank you again to everyone who's submitted requests. 
> 
> For this first story, the anon said: "Yay, I'm so happy! Then may I ask for some Touka/Kaneki time after he wakes up after being dug out of the Dragon, if you feel like it? I felt like there were some missed opportunities in canon between Kaneki waking up and him leaving with Urie+Saiko and there were conversations Touka and Kaneki needed to have."

_ Creak…  _

She looked up to see Kaneki sitting up in the bed.

He stared straight at her, “Touka-chan…” Then glanced around, “Everyone…” 

“Kaneki?” It’s really him and not a dream right? 

But reality soon shattered through as Saiko rushed to hug him while crying. At that moment, everyone else in the room had woken up to see that Kaneki was fully conscious. The white haired looked around at everyone in shock while everyone else looked back at him, grateful for the fact that he wasn’t just an empty shell, but actually living. 

Nishiki grabbed onto his face harshly, as to confirm that Kaneki was fully there. 

“You bastard… You’re too damn resilient, you shitty kouhai,” Nishiki scolded before letting go of Kaneki’s face. “Wait here, I’m gonna tell Kimi.” 

Kaneki looked back at her again, “Touka-cha-” 

Before he could utter another word, she hugged him, reveling in the fact that he’s there, he’s alive. 

_ Thump… Thump…Thump.... _

He was still cold, but she could hear his heartbeat. She wonders if he can hear hers. 

“Thank goodness,” she whispered. 

* * *

After Kaneki decided to go out into the wrecked city, Touka had gathered some clothes for him seeing as he can’t just walk into the city in just a hospital gown. 

“Um…Touka-chan?” 

She looked down at his limbs, realizing that he would have some issues changing. “I’ll help.” 

When she took the gown off of him, she could clearly see the condition of his body. Everything from the neck down was still red and raw. His hands haven’t even reformed. But considering his previous condition, this was fine, he’s healing. It might be slow, but it was better than nothing. 

“It’s cold outside,” she mumbled as she pulled the jacket onto him. 

“Thank you.” 

“No problem.” She gave his hand (?) a firm grip to let him, hoping that it would be enough to reassure him that she, not to mention everyone else, was on his side. 

But the concern didn’t disappear from his face, “Are you ok? Is our child…” 

His hand looked tempted to reach out, but he looked afraid. As though he might hurt her or their child somehow. She grabbed his hand and pulled him closer to her. Even though the baby probably was still really tiny, she placed his misfigured hand on her stomach, “We’re fine.” 

“Are you absolutely sure?” 

“Yes,” she answered, placing her other hand on top of his, “I’m fine. They’re fine.”

Of course, she’ll have to get a proper check up at some point to be safe (especially considering all the fighting she didn’t expect to be in), but she was able to avoid getting her stomach hit. That was the most important thing. 

But her answer didn’t seem to reassure him.

His expression turned to something between guilt and downcast, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to put you through this.” 

“It’s ok, we made it out, didn’t we?” She smiled, but he didn’t return it. “Is there something else that’s bothering you?”

He looked at her with a confusing look on his face, “Have you seen Hide?”

Oh. 

So that’s what’s on his mind. 

“Yeah. He helped convince the CCG to cooperate with us.” If it weren’t for him, they wouldn’t have been able to find Kaneki so easily. 

When the blonde haired man insisted on talking with her privately, she didn’t know what to expect. She certainly didn’t think he would immediately ask questions about her relationship with Kaneki. But speaking to him didn’t make her feel uncomfortable in the slightest, it was actually quite pleasant. She was glad that they could talk, that’s what reminded her about the ring that she had given Kaneki. 

“Is he…How is he?” her husband asked quietly while looking towards the ground. She wonders if Kaneki feels guilty for what he’s done to his best friend. She saw the damage firsthand, but it didn’t seem like Nagachika held any remorse towards it. If anything, he just covered it up to keep other people from being uncomfortable. 

Despite everything, Nagachika was still as cheerful as she remembered him to be. 

“You should ask him that in person,” she answered, because she knew the two had a lot that they needed to say, “Once you finish looking at the city, you should talk to him. I’m sure he’ll be happy to talk to you again.” 

Those words seemed to give Kaneki a little bit of hope, seeing as he finally cracked a small smile, “I… Should.”

“Yeah.” 

“Ah, Urie-kun and Saiko-chan must be wondering what I’m doing. I’ll be back soon.” 

She squeezed his hands once last time before letting go, “Be careful out there.”

“Yeah.” 

“Try not to push yourself too much. I still need you to give our kid a name. I suck at Japanese, you know.” 

His smile widened a little, “Yeah, I know.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For this one, the anon requested: Au where Kaneki run away with Touka after Anteiku raid pleasee (/ω＼) I can't get enough of this au. Preferably filled to the brim with fluff thank youu

The building that Yomo acquired was a bit of a fixer upper. It was completely bare. There were a few rusty pipes and some loose floorboards. There were a number of things to be done before they could open. But it was better than remaining underground. It’s still a place that can become a home. 

Even if it’ll never truly replace Anteiku. 

When they first moved in, she had asked, “What are we going to put in it?”

Yomo had simply answered, “Whatever you two want.” 

She and Kaneki didn’t really discuss it per say... But whenever each of them had found a new piece of furniture or another book, they would place it in the barren building. Touka had chosen the tall stools and oak countertop. Kaneki had chosen inset shelves to fill with plenty of books. Slowly but surely, this empty building was feelings more like a home.

* * *

“Good morning Touka-chan,” Kaneki greeted with a smile.

“...Morning.” 

He offered her a warm mug, “I made you some coffee.” 

He’s been doing this a lot. She wonders if it’s him trying to apologize for leaving the first time and choosing to sacrifice himself. Although she had already forgiven him after giving him a hard smack to the head when he had first met up with her and Yomo in the underground.

Really, he doesn’t need to do much to warrant her forgiveness.

Still, she took it, feeling their fingers brush against each other’s. 

“You’ll need to practice more before we open,” she comments after a sip, “But I guess it’s better than before.” 

“Then I’ll be in your care again” 

“Hm.” She raises the mug towards her lips and takes another sip. 

She watches as he takes a sip from his cup, “Is something wrong, Touka-chan?” 

“Nothing.” 

This time, she’ll teach him properly. This time, she’ll treasure having him around more.

* * *

As it’s getting closer for their new shop to open, Touka realized that her appearance needed to change. It’s better to look different from before. This way, it’s less likely for people to connect the dots between their store and Anteiku. 

She starts with her hair, her chest-length dark hair. She had been growing it out for a while, so she feels a little sad about it. But hair is replaceable and cheap compared to the price of safety. She’s improved a bit when it comes to cutting her hair. It doesn’t look so horrendously chunky, so she moves on to wash out her dark hair color and replace it with something new. 

“What do you think?” she asked the boy as she pulled at the fresh strands of light blue. 

Kaneki smiles, “It suits you, Touka-chan.” 

Her eyes widened. She looked away to hide her pink face. She wasn’t expecting him to say something like that, “Thanks…” 

“Can you help me dye my hair too?” he requested politely. His hair was now an oddly colored mix of black and white (it almost looked like a sesame pudding cup). It’s certainly not the most conspicuous hairstyle, so it would be better if they changed it. 

“Sure. What do you want?” 

“You can do whatever. I don’t have a preference.” 

“So pink?”

Kaneki put on a nervous smile, “W-Well, maybe not that crazy.” 

She let out a soft chuckle, that expression reminds her of before things went bad, “Don’t look so worried. I’ll make sure it comes out well.” 

“Are you going to tell me what you’re going to do?”

“Just trust me.” 

He smiles at her, causing her heart to beat a little,“Alright.” 

She gets to work on bleaching the rest of the black to white, then adding color. It somehow feels surreal to be dying Kaneki’s hair right now. 

She wonders if this is all some dream that she’s going to wake up from soon. 

“You’re matching,” Yomo commented when he sees the two of them. 

“Ah, Touka-chan did it, does it look good?” he asked, rubbing at the freshly dyed hair. Kaneki’s hair was now a shimmering silver to match her light blue locks. 

The older man nods in silent approval. 

“Told you to trust me,” she commented with a smirk as she brushed her hands through his hair. 

Kaneki smiled back at her.“You’re right.” 

Yomo just stared at them silently, as though he were judging them. 

“W-What is it?” 

Yomo turned to Kaneki and put a hand on his shoulder, “Remember to be careful.”

“O...kay?” 

* * *

It’s right before they open and Touka finds Kaneki just staring at her in her new uniform, “What?” He mumbles something out, but she can barely make sense of it, “Spit it out already.” 

“Y-You look good, Touka-chan,” he complimented while rubbing his neck in nervousness. 

“Idiot,” she smacks him playfully with her notepad, trying to hide the smile forming on her face, “Come on, we have customers.” 

The bell rang, as though it were signaling for the start of a new beginning. 

“Welcome to :Re,” they greeted in unison. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This request was: hehe request time!!! how about pregnant mamatouka (before ch179) being slightly more hormonal than usual... kaneki comes home late from his business at the UF and TSC so she's slightly distraught with how overwhelmed she is with missing him :( kaneki finds this odd coming from her of all people but does his best to comfort he

As a woman well into her third trimester of pregnancy, Touka understands that she might get just a bit… Unreasonable at times. 

So what if she yelled at shitty Nishiki about how he forgot that she could only have decaf instead of black coffee? She was worried about her blood pressure and she had clearly labeled which container had decaf and which had regular. 

Or what if she cried when she found out that Ayato and Hinami were dating? She had been watching them dance around each other for months and Hinami is so precious to her (not that she cares about Ayato any less), but the entire situation made her emotional. 

That’s normal right? 

More or less? 

What’s not normal is the fact that she woke up from her nap (because she’s been really tired these days), only to find that Kaneki isn’t fucking home yet. Panic started to set in when she realized how late it was. 

He was supposed to get off at 6, it’s already close to 10, so  _ where the fuck  _ was he? 

Ok, she just needed to calm down, stress was not good for the baby. 

Just breath.

After a few deep breaths, she reconsidered what was happening. Maybe he just saw her sleeping and went to the living room because he didn’t want to disturb her. Maybe it was something as simple as that. 

Touka got up as quickly as she could as a  _ heavily pregnant  _ woman and waddled towards the living room, only to find that it was empty. 

Damnit! 

Did something happen at work? She knows that there’s been more cases of the so-called ‘dragon orphans’ lately and her husband is the type who can’t help but involve himself with fighting, but if something really did happen then someone would’ve told her if there was trouble, right? Right?

God, what if something did happen, but she only got to find out later and it’s like the first time he left all over again, except this time it’s worse because they have a kid and Touka doesn’t want her child to grow up without knowing their father- 

_ Click.  _

Her ears immediately perked up when the door unlocked and that sound just signaled every part of her body to  _ move.  _

Kaneki walked through the door, saying, “I’m home-” 

“Where have you been!” 

He flinched nervously,“T-Touka-chan?” 

“Why the hell are you late? Do you have any idea how worried I was?!” 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get back late, there was just a little misunderstanding so we needed to have a meeting to-” 

“You didn’t think to call me?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think it would take this long and- Touka-chan?!” 

She just leaned into his chest, “Just shut up and hug me.” 

So he immediately did as she asked and wrapped his arms around her. After a few moments of silence, the tension in her shoulders seemed to release. All the adrenaline disappeared, she could feel something wet on her cheeks. 

Was she crying? 

What the hell? 

As soon as she realized that she was legitimately crying, she felt nothing but embarrassment and frustration crawl up in the form of bright red cheeks. 

WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING! 

She went  _ years  _ without seeing him, and now that he’s home late from work, she’s crying? Over just a few hours of not being able to see him? What the hell is wrong with her? Is it the damn pregnancy hormones that Kimi keeps telling her about? 

“Touka-chan…” he hesitantly called out, “Is everything ok? Did something happen?” 

“It’s so fucking stupid,” she mumbled into his shoulder. 

“I’m sure it’s not.” 

“I was literally crying because you weren’t home yet. If that’s not stupid, I don’t know what is.” 

Their situation’s not like before. It’s nowhere close to what it used to be like. But that didn’t change the fact that she missed him when she realized he wasn’t there. 

She’s become such a sappy idiot!

“Um…” 

Great, and now she’s freaked out her husband. 

Kaneki said nothing at first. He just rubbed her back until her tears went away. He guided her onto the couch and kissed the top of her head. 

“I’m really sorry, Touka-chan.” 

“Why? I’m just being stupid.” 

“But it was still my fault that you got so worried. I don’t have a great track record either. I’ll properly call you next time I’m running late,” he promises. He kneeled down in front of her so that he was looking at her eye to eye. 

Ah, now she can see the smile on his face.

“What are you smiling for?”

“Because I missed you today too.” 

Finally, she let out a snicker for the first time since he got home, “You idiot.” 

But it’s fine.

They can be idiots together. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Request: "Yay, I'm so happy! Then may I ask for some Touka/Kaneki time"

“Try not to give her too many sweets and make sure she takes her nap on time or she’ll be cranky. If she needs a diaper change, then make sure you grab the diaper first before you set her down. She’s been really energetic lately, so she’s been rolling around whenever we set her down,” Kaneki listed off, trying to frantically remember what else he needed to tell Hide. “And… And…”

Touka walked in, carrying Ichika on her hip. Ichika was holding onto a blue rabbit, “Lately, she’s been wanting to go on adventures with her bunny, so sometimes she’ll hide in the other rooms or try to climb out the windows when she gets the chance, so keep a close eye on her.” 

“Bunny!” 

“Got it!” Hide saluted, “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t dream of letting something happen to your little bundle of joy.” 

“And don’t hesitate to call us if something happens. If I don’t pick up, then call Touka, if Touka doesn’t pick up-” 

We’ll be fine,” he reassures, “And Yomo-san is stopping by later, you’ll have two responsible adults watching her, so you two can take a break today!”

“Alright…” It’s not like he doesn’t trust Hide, Ken trusts him a lot, it’s just he and Touka haven’t both been away from Ichika at the same time, what if she starts crying- 

“Kaneki man, it’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry about a thing either, Touka-chan. Ichika and I are gonna have loads of fun, ain’t that right?”

“Fun!” 

“See?” 

“Do you know what to say when people are going?” Hide asked her. 

Ichika smiled, “‘ake carew Mama, Papa!” 

Good lord, his daughter is adorable! 

* * *

The weather was nice out, it was a clear blue sky. 

“What a nice day,” Touka mused. 

“Yeah, perfect for walking around, isn’t it?” 

“It’s too bad we didn’t take Ichika with us.” 

“If the weather is good tomorrow, let’s all go on a walk to the park,” he suggested. 

“That sounds great,” Touka agreed as she slipped her hand into his.

He smiled. He still can’t believe that he gets to be with someone like her. Even now, he’s still giddy whenever he remembers that Touka is his wife and he’s her husband. 

There was a quaint shopping district nearby that they decided to spend a few hours at. There were a few stores they could look at and a cafe here and there. It works out perfectly because they can shop for ingredients for Ichika’s dinner when they’re done. He wonders what they should make for dinner? Maybe omelet rice? Or something with noodles, like udon or soba?

“Ken?”

“Y-Yes!” 

“What were you thinkin about?”

“What should we get Ichika for dinner?” Now thinking about it, he should be thinking about Touka, shouldn’t he? “What were you thinking about?” 

“If we should make rolled omelets for dinner? Even though we’re supposed to be on a break, we still just think about her. We’re really stupid doting parents, aren’t we?” 

“Yeah.” But he wouldn’t want to be anything else. 

As they walked, a certain store caught his eye. The store display was filled with colorful books. Between Ichika and the UFR and the TSC, he hasn’t found much time to look for new books. 

“Do you want to go in?” 

He would, but he wanted to do something that both him and Touka would enjoy. “It’s fine, I can always get something later-” 

“It looks like they have kids books too,” she interrupted, “Should we get something for Ichika too?” 

He really is lucky to have her. 

“Sure.” 

The shop had a good selection of books. There were quite a few he hadn’t seen, so he selected a few before the two of them headed to the kids’ section. Touka had chosen a book that was titled Mohei. 

“I remembered my dad reading this when I was a kid,” she explained. 

“Ah, I read that too. I’m sure Ichika will like it.” 

“What about this one?” 

“That seems good.” 

They chose a few more books together. He hopes that they can read all of these to Ichika soon. 

They exited the bookstore with a heaping bag and Ken couldn’t feel happier. 

He remembered wanting to do this with his girlfriend, go to a bookstore and share their views on whatever books they both liked reading. It’s strange how that was so long ago. Before, he would imagine going with someone like Rize, but now, he gets to go with Touka and choose books for their kid. 

“You’re smiling a lot,” Touka observed. 

“I’m just really happy.” 

“Did you find a good book?”

“Well, that too.” He smiled at her as he took her hand before admitting, “I’ve always wanted to have a bookstore date with my girlfriend and now I get to have one with my wife.”

She squeezed his hand a little, “We can have one whenever you feel like.” 

“Thank you, Touka.” He really is lucky to have someone like Touka as his wife, “Where should we go now?” 

“Do you want to get some coffee? I heard from Hina that there was a new shop nearby.” 

A cup of coffee sounds good, but… “I wonder if we can find a shop that makes coffee as good as you.” 

She let out a chuckle, “You sap. Let’s go see if that ‘nose kagune’ of yours still works” 

“You aren’t gonna let me live that down are you?” he asked after letting out a snicker. He didn’t think she was listening when he said that. 

“Nope.” 

Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to have Hide babysit. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For @dreamerfae and @asdfghjkfae: "Hi I would like to request a touken fanfic! Post canon, where Kaneki and Touka spends the day together after dropping ichika off with tsukiyama / Yomo. Fluff basically :) thank you!"

“Tsukiyama, if something happens to her, you’re more than dead,” Touka warned. 

“Of course~ I wouldn’t let a single hair on your darling princess be harmed!” Ichika cooed in her crib, causing Tsukiyama to swoon, “Aw, isn’t she precious? Aren’t you?”

“And she’s started eating solids. We have a lot of pureed foods in the fridge, so you can heat it up in the microwave, but make sure it’s not too hot for her,” Kaneki informed Yomo, who was silently nodding, “If anything happens, just call us.” 

“Of course Kaneki-kun! Yomo-san and I are more than qualified to watch little Ichika for you two! You can rest assured that nothing will happen!” 

“Then, we’re leaving her in your care.” 

“We’re going now, Ichika,” Touka said as she waved bye to their baby. 

Once they left their house, Kaneki extended his hand towards his wife,“Then, shall we go?” 

She smiled and took his hand, “Yeah.” 

* * *

For today, Kaneki had kept the details of their date a surprise. Touka had just assumed that he found a really good cafe that was connected to a bookstore or something. Or maybe he decided to do something different and take her to a botanical garden or to the zoo. Although, if they went to a zoo, then they should have brought Ichika with them. 

“Ah, there it is!” 

It seemed like an ordinary cafe, but when they entered, Touka immediately spotted rabbits! 

“Welcome to Pyon-Pyon Paradise!” the employee greeted cheerfully before going into details about what they were and weren’t allowed inside the cafe. 

“Were you surprised?” 

“Yeah…” The last time she saw this many rabbits in person was when she went with Yoriko to the petting zoo. And that was back in  _ high school.  _ “Oh… Just look at you,” she mused as one of the rabbits came closer to her. 

“Touka, look at this one,” he gestured towards a black and white spotted rabbit that was nuzzling into Kaneki’s knee. 

The married couple leisurely enjoyed their time with the rabbits. Touka had taken the time to reach out to pet every single rabbit that she could. Each one was adorable and soft, they even ate when Touka offered lettuce leaves! A bunny was sniffing Kaneki’s hand before he offered the little one some food. 

Although while the rabbits were great to be around, she was happy to spend some time with her husband. 

The waiter walked in, placing their order down at the low table near them, “Sorry for the wait, here are your espressos.” 

He took a sip of the hot coffee, “What do you think?”

“Not bad, but it’s a bit too bitter. I wonder if they roasted the beans too much.” Touka mused as she swirled the dark liquid in her cup. “But it’s still a lot better than the last place you brought me to.”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize that they changed owners.” 

“You would think the new owner would’ve at least known how to make a decent cup of coffee. Or hired someone who knew. Even canned coffee was better than that crap.” 

He chuckled a little, “Then what about this place? Would you want to come back here again?”

“I would think so,” she admitted after another sip. The coffee wasn’t anything special, but she really liked the rabbits. 

“For the rabbits?” 

“Yep. When Ichika gets a little older, I want to take her here.” Touka wants her daughter to have the world. Once she gets a little bigger, they can go to places like the beach and the zoo as a family. Touka wants to make sure that Ichika can have a lot of happy family memories to look back on.

“I’m sure she’ll love it. And I’ve heard they have a pretty good kid’s meal set too.” 

Once they finished their coffee, Kaneki went up to pay while Touka got in a few more pets. 

But she wasn’t expecting him to hand her a little bag with the cafe’s logo on it when he was done. What could possibly be in it?

“Can I open it now?” 

“Sure.” 

“This…” A little rabbit keychain. This rabbit was dark brown and had a little tartan red ribbon around its neck. It was completely different from the one she had before, but that didn’t mean she liked it any less. 

“They also sold keychains and I thought it would be a good souvenir for the day.” 

She smiled a little while rubbing its pointed ears. “Thank you. I’ll put it on my phone.”

“Touka,” he called out. 

“Hm?” She looked up at him, allowing him to kiss the top of her forehead. Touka instantly turned pink, because, “W-What are you doing in public?”

“I just thought you looked pretty,” he answered with a smile.

“Hm…” In an instant Touka grabbed the front of his shirt and forced him to bend down so she could kiss his lips. When they pulled away, she smirked, “Payback.” 

Her husband’s face turned bright red in that instant, it was the cutest thing she’s seen all day.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For this request: "Omg thank you so much for doing this! If you still feel like it and are interested, could you write Touken reuniting with others after 125 and either telling them they're together or everyone just guessing by themselves because of how obvious they where?"

When they all reunited underground, there was something different about Touka and Kaneki. They both seemed to be practically glowing. They stood a little closer to each other. Not to mention their scents…It was almost as though their scents had melded together (which is more information than Nishiki wants to know about them, but whatever the damage is already done). 

So to say that something’s changed in Touka and Kaneki’s relationship was an understatement. Even if they don’t say anything, it’s so obvious that they’re over the moon for each other. 

Whenever you needed Touka, she was either reading to the kids or she was with Kaneki. Whenever Ken wasn’t busy thinking of strategies and out on Goat business, he was with Touka. Heck, they even slept in the same room most nights!

They certainly weren’t _subtle_. 

Which is why people talk in hushed whispers. 

“Who is that woman who’s always around the king?” 

“They seem to be close to each other don’t they?”

“Haven’t you seen how they stick to each other? What else could they be?” 

“I guess she’s pretty enough for the King.”

Geh. 

Why is it that people always gossip? Whether they’re ghouls or humans, it didn’t make a damn difference. People will always talk if things aren’t said. 

Well, it’s not like they needed to tell anyone if they didn’t feel like it yet. 

Besides, the people who know them well already know what’s going on. 

Like Hinami. The other day she had stopped him from looking for Touka after she sent him on a… peculiar errand of getting human food. 

“Nishiki-san,” the younger girl called out, “if you’re looking for Onee-chan then you might want to wait a bit. She sounds…preoccupied.” 

“That so? Thanks Hina.” 

He certainly didn’t want to intrude when they were at it like rabbits.

Not to mention Tsukiyama knows. It became particularly obvious that Tsukiyama knew when he immediately guessed that the two were together in Kaneki’s room. 

“Ah, Nishiki-kun, is Kaneki-kun in his room?” 

“You shouldn’t disturb him.”

  
“Hm?” The taller man stopped before quickly concluding, “Oh, Kirishima-san is with him.” 

It didn’t sound like a question, but rather a statement. As though it was expected that they would be together.

“Yeah.” 

“Then I’ll get him in a few minutes. Won’t you grab Monsieur Banjou and friends? There are some things that need to be discussed after the lovers finish their business.”

“Gottacha.” 

Heck, even Yomo-san knew that something definitely happened between them! At least, that’s what Nishiki could assume since the older man randomly said, “A girl would be cute,” the older man.

“Hah?!” 

“A kid,” he clarified with a deadpan expression. 

“I-I see... ” 

* * *

Nishiki walked past their ‘room’. He would’ve gone in to tease them or to say something, but the moment seemed too intimate for him to intrude. 

Touka was leaning on Kaneki and they were whispering quietly, so quietly that he couldn’t even hear what they were saying from this distance.Their eyes had been crinkled up in joy. Touka had a small smile on her face while Kaneki’s so wide that it looked like his face was about to break. 

He’s never really seen that kind of expression on Kaneki before. The half ghoul looked so genuinely happy.

They both did. 

Really, it’s completely obvious.   
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The request: "I feel weird requesting something but I was really hoping for a Touken + Yomo's thoughts on them. Like before they even realize they are starting to like each other, Yomo notices it? Maybe not something exactly like that, but similar enough? I just really want to read something with Yomo seeing the past repeat itself with new faces and is proud of Touka, likes Kaneki, but at the same time cautiously sad because being a ghoul is suffering :("
> 
> Set during Tokyo ghoul chapter 32 and Tokyo Ghoul :Re chapter 132

“Do...Don’t let go of my hands,” he heard Ken say. 

“Shut up.” Touka glanced up and finally took notice of him, “Huh? Yomo-san.”

“Ah… Hello there,” Ken greeted politely despite the position he was in. 

“...” How strange. Since when were they that close to be playing around like that? “What are you guys playing?”

“It’s special training. For backflips,” Touka explained nonchalantly. 

“...”

He supposed it wasn’t  _ that  _ odd to see them together. They were about the same age. Touka was always looking for a sparring partner to practice on. Ken needed fighting practice. It made perfect sense. Although, what’s odd is that Touka was helping Ken so willingly. 

She’s not the type of person to get attached to someone so easily. 

But then the conversation he had with Uta came to mind.

Uta kept mentioning how they would make a good couple. It’s not like Yomo can’t see it. It certainly seems that there is some interest in between them. It somehow feels like they complement each other, despite having different personality types. Touka’s fierce but kind nature alongside Ken’s quiet yet resilient disposition.

Somehow…Their interactions seemed familiar, but why? 

“Touka-chan, I’m going to fall…” 

Well, he can focus on that later. For now, he should get to training them. So he shrugged off his jacket and commented on Ken’s movements before beckoning both of them to come at him. 

Once they had finished their lesson for the day, Ken said, “Thank you for your help today Yomo-san.” 

Yomo nodded. 

“Come on, I thought you were going to help me with my classes after this,” Touka urged before running off. 

“Ah, Touka-chan!” He quickly grabbed his bag, shouting, “See you later, Yomo-san!” before he went to go follow the younger girl. 

He’s so polite. 

Mild mannered. 

Timid.

But strong in his own way. 

It reminded him of…Kirishima Arata. 

Yomo’s blood instantly ran cold. 

With how much Touka resembled her mother, it’s no wonder that it seemed familiar. It’s almost if he’s looking at another version of Hikari and Kirishima. 

He tries not to think about it during their next training sessions. But he finds more similarities than differences. The more similarities he finds, the more the feeling of dread grows. 

What if the past were to repeat? 

What if those two were to get together only to be torn apart? 

Is that all that a ghoul can do? 

Gather little fragments of happiness before reaching an untimely death? 

Will he have to stay by as he loses more loved ones? 

No, he’s not the same as before. It can be different this time. But right now, all he can do for them is teach them well so they can fight against the cruel fate that a ghoul must face in this world. So they live together. 

* * *

“Yomo, Tsukiyama.” 

“Hm? What is it?”

“I married Touka,” Ken announced with a happy smile as he wrapped his arms around Touka. 

It took a moment to process, but he and Tsukiyama quickly came back to reality. Before Yomo even realized it, Tsukiyama had prepared a grand party for the newly wedded couple. 

After a few drinks, he shouted, “This party’s goin’ till morning Nisshi!” 

“Give it back you drunkard!” the younger ghoul shouted at him.

“Get happy with me!” He bellowed out in joy. 

They only had this moment to celebrate, so he’ll cheer them on with everything he has. After all, this is his precious niece marrying the boy that everyone has placed their hopes onto, the boy that she’s spent years waiting for. Yomo’s sure that Ken will take good care of her, even back then he always cared for her, although sometimes a little clumsily. 

But even with the alcohol, he could feel an eerie feeling creeping up. It felt like the war would soon reach its peak. How can they preserve this fleeting happiness? How many lives were about to be lost? Who would pay the price for the right for ghouls to live? 

Still, he cheers again and raises his cup high to congratulate the happy couple.

Please, to whatever force in the universe is listening, please! 

Don’t let the past repeat. 

Don’t let them be separated.

Don’t let that child grow up in a world where ghouls are hunted down like animals.

Don’t let them become another tragedy. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The anon requested: "I love your Touken/Kanetou from other character's perspective so much? Can we get some brattish but dedicated little brother Ayato's thoughts and reaction on Touken when he finds out they are together?"

When they were forced into the underground, all Ayato wanted was a place to sleep, some supplies, and a toilet. It’s not like he was expecting a 5 star hotel experience or something. 

It’s the fucking underground!

But while he was walking around, there was a smell coming from one of the bathrooms that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. What is it? It reeks! It almost reminds him of that gross meat and potato connotation that he was forced to eat as a kid. Still, he walked further into the room to see what the hell was going on. 

His eyes widened when he recognized the familiar figure on the ground. 

“Aneki.” 

She looked up, her face was pale, “Ayato?” 

Crap, crap, why does she look like that? Is she sick? “I’ll get a doctor.” 

She quickly grabbed his hand, “It’s not like that.” 

The smell of human food was on her. He glanced at the empty water bottles all over the floor. Was she trying to wash down the taste with water? “Then what the hell is wrong with you, why are you eating that disgusting crap again?! You’re gonna seriously damage your body if you try to digest that shit!” 

“I’m pregnant.” 

What. 

“What?!” His eyes immediately went down to her stomach. She was holding onto protectively, but it looked normal. It didn’t look like she was pregnant, but what’s he supposed to know? It’s not like he took a sex ed class! Wait, if she’s pregnant that means…“You two fucked! You and shitty Kaneki Ken!” 

Goddamnit, he did  _ not  _ want to think about that! That’s disgusting!

“Quiet!” she demanded while smacking him in the back of the head. She glanced around, before confessing, “I haven’t told him yet.” 

God, he didn’t realize that their relationship was like that now! 

Was he  _ that _ shocked?

Not really. Even  _ he  _ can see the way that his sister looks at Kaneki Ken and the way that Kaneki looks back at her. But it felt like they went from barely speaking to having sex after they came back from Cochlea.

What the fuck happened in the middle! 

For now, he’ll need to have a talk with fucking Kaneki. 

“How’d you get that crap?” 

“Nishiki.”

“Fucking four eyes knew before me?!”

* * *

“Hey.” 

“What is it Ayato-kun?”

“What’s going on between you and Aneki?” 

“A-Ah…” He blushed red (which made Ayato internally cringe at the sight), “It might be a little late but Touka-chan and I are… romantically involved? It happened kinda suddenly, so I haven’t told many people about it yet.” 

“You… You really piss me off.” 

From the start, he freaking hated Kaneki Ken. 

Sure, the guy broke half of his fucking bones in a fight. It pissed Ayato off at first and it was a fucking pain to heal from that. It reminded him of how weak he was, how he still wasn’t strong enough. 

But it wasn’t just that. 

Kaneki looked with a confused smile on his face, “Is it because I didn’t tell you? Or is there something else?” 

“Because you remind me of my old man.” 

There was something just disgustingly nostalgic about Kaneki Ken. Maybe it was the way the half ghoul carried himself or the way that he spoke, there was something about that kind and weak nature that reminded Ayato of his father. 

Ayato absolutely despised how weak his father was, how his father left them 

Yet despite everything, he still spent years trying to fulfill that damn promise to his shitty old man. That’s why Ayato had constantly tried to become stronger, that’s why he acted like the important things weren’t that important to him, so that way no one would hurt or take away the people who mattered to him.

He wanted to protect his sister. From the people who took their parents away. From other ghouls. From anyone who was going to hurt her. 

He wanted his sister to be happy. But that’s a difficult thing to do in this fucked up world. 

He looked at Kaneki, who was listening to every word and all the silence in between. This is the person that she chose. This is the person that she chose to wait for and she didn’t even know if he was ever going to come back. 

And yet despite everything, he came back, Kaneki came back to Touka. 

If this person makes his sister happy, then who is Ayato to stand in the way? 

After all… 

“But you’re not him.” 

Kaneki Ken isn’t Kirishima Arata. He’s different, doesn’t that mean anything? Doesn’t that mean that it won’t end the same for them?

So right now, all Ayato can say is, “So take care of Aneki…Shitty Aniki.” 

“Ayato-kun…” 

“Ah, that’s all I wanted to say! Don’t you get fucking sentimental on me, ya’hear!” he shouted and quickly stalked off before Kaneki could get another word in. 

“Thank you Ayato-kun!” 

“And don’t fucking forget that I can still whup your ass if you do anything to hurt her!” 

* * *

Yomo was lurking outside of Ayato’s room, which is rare, so Ayato called out, “Ah, Ossan. You need something?” 

Yomo put his hand on top of Ayato’s head, petting it slightly, “Good job.” 

“Huh?!”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For this request: Can I request some kind of soulmate au please? Like your oneshot 1/2 of Me, Filipendulous, or the Tally Mark series (it's not really soulmate au though, but you get what I mean) And also thank you for always sharing your writing with us! (°´˘`°)♡
> 
> This is set post :Re chapter 125.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prompt that I used for this request was from r-evolve-art's soulmate au masterlist: Each soulmate has one half of a quote that is important to their relationship.

It was quiet, she couldn’t hear anything besides the rustling of cloth and their heartbeats. It felt like there was no one else in the world besides them and the bright moon.

They were tired, but they didn’t want to go to sleep yet. Because as soon as they fell asleep, they knew that this moment would end and in the morning, they would have to return to the reality of retreating back into the underground. 

But for now, they could just focus on each other. 

Touka could just focus on feeling his warmth. 

“Is this your soulmate quote?” he asked quietly while his fingers lightly traced the back of her shoulder.

“Yeah.” That’s all she knows about her soulmate mark. It’s right where her kagune comes out. Yoriko used to rave about their soulmate marks and how they’ll find their soulmates one day and be blissfully happy. All Touka could do was smile in response, not really knowing what to say. “What’s it say?”

“You haven’t read it?”

“Maybe once or twice, but it’s not like I have memorized or anything.” There were more important things that she had to focus on, so finding her soulmate had been the least of her worries. She remembered Yoriko would read it aloud once in a while for her, but it wasn’t  _ that  _ often. “Will you read it for me?” 

“Sure.” He carefully recited out, “If there is any reaction, both are transformed.” 

Was that it? It seemed like an odd saying, she couldn’t even imagine what the other half of the quote was supposed to be. Maybe it was some literary thing that she didn’t know about? Kaneki might know. 

“Kaneki?” But he didn’t respond. Why? “Kaneki? Is something wrong?” 

“It goes with mine…” 

She turned around quickly to meet his shocked expression. “How do you know?”

“Look.” 

She’s seen the golden words on his chest before, but this is the first time that she’s actually reading them. Touka placed her hand on his chest, slowly stroking over the letters. She carefully recited out, “The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances.”

“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed. It’s a quote by a famous psychiatrist. I looked it up when I was younger,” he explained with his smile growing wider at the realization. 

What a cute smile. 

It feels like it’s been a long time since she’s seen such a carefree smile on his face.

She smiled at him, asking, “What does it mean?” 

“Human relationships are like chemical reactions. If you have a reaction, then you can never return to your previous state of being. You can’t return to how you used to be because you’ve changed after meeting that person and after being affected by them.” 

Changing because you were affected by someone? 

“Have you changed because of me?” If anything, it was after meeting Rize that Kaneki changed, but…She didn’t think she had such an effect on him. 

“Yeah.” Kaneki took her hand, gently, “After I met you, you led me to Anteiku and you taught me how to live as a ghoul. Because of you, I got to meet a lot of people who became important to me.” 

“Am I included in that count?”

“Of course.” His smile grew a little more and his eyes curled up in joy, “Ah, and I learned to appreciate the taste of coffee more.” 

She chuckled, before whispering, “Stupid.”

“What about you?”

“When you told me that you’d be sad if I died, it was the first time that someone had ever told me that.” It was the first time where she thought that Kaneki would be someone that she could rely on, that she could truly trust someone to be by her side. It made her think about how her life actually meant something to others and that she wasn’t truly alone. “And…It made me happy.” 

From there, more things changed. From that point on, Kaneki had just seemed different to her. She wanted to protect him and stand by him, he became someone important to her. 

Who would’ve thought? 

“Touka.” 

“What?” 

He smiled at her, “Thank you for changing my life.” 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For this request: "I would like to request a fic where Haise is interested in Touka and of course so is she. But Touka thinks she only wants to because Haise is Kaneki and thinks that it'd be unfair to both Haise and Kaneki. And that makes her feel guilty so she keeps futilely avoiding him. But eventually they come to an understanding and finally get together!"

Today was the day, he was finally going to ask the stunning woman who worked at the cafe to a date. He could feel his heart beating in his throat and his palms getting sweaty, but what can you expect when he’s been trying to work up the courage to ask this woman on a date for weeks? 

“Would you like anything else, Sensei?” 

“O-Oh, just the bill please.”

“Of course.” 

Come on, he could do this. Even Saiko-chan had cheered him on earlier! 

“M-Manager!” 

“Yes?” 

“T-This upcoming Sunday, there’s going to be a coffee fair, they have quite an impressive selection of vendors. It’s said to have a lot of different coffee beans from around the world. Have you heard of it?” 

“No, I haven’t. But it does sound interesting.” 

“Um… I was able to get a pair of tickets. But I didn’t know who would be interested. I-If you don’t mind, would you consider going with me as a date?” he asked, feeling his face growing warmer with every word. 

The seconds passed by slowly. All he could hear was the sound of his heart beating anxiously against his chest. Oh, what if she’s going to reject him and she’s just thinking of a way to let him down slowly? Does that mean he won’t be able to show his face here again? Does that mean he should tell the kids to stop coming too-

“I’ll have to think about it.” Eh? “Is that alright?” 

“Yes, of course! Take as much time as you need, although it is this weekend, so maybe it would be best to decide before then...” Stop rambling Haise, or she’ll say no on the spot! He should leave while he’s still ahead! “Then until next time.” 

“Yes, take care Sensei.” 

As soon as he left :re, he sighed out. Thank goodness, she didn’t say no! Well, she didn’t say yes either, but if she’s at least taking the time to consider it, that means that his chances aren’t completely zero right? 

…Right? 

* * *

What the hell was that! She never expected that he would actually ask her on, on a date!

Kaneki spent how long before even working up the courage to even speak to Rize, so she expected Sasaki to be no different, but- Just what was she supposed to do? 

Unfortunately for her, the man stopped by the next day and asked, “Um… Would you happen to have an answer yet?”

Of course not! 

But instead of saying that, she decided to lie through her teeth, “I’m sorry, I was busy last night, so I couldn’t think about it.” 

“Oh it’s completely fine!” he responded as he nervously rubbed at his chin, “I did spring it on you suddenly. Just take your time to think about it.” 

“I will. Now, is there anything that you’d like to order?” 

He sheepishly smiles and orders his usual before leaving to return back to work. Touka sighs the second that he’s out of view. 

* * *

Their next conversation mimicked the one before it. 

“I’m sorry.”

And again. 

“I still don’t have an answer…”

And again. 

“I’m very sorry.” 

Still, he smiles at her and says, “Ah, then I’ll come by again tomorrow.” 

When he acts like that, it’s just like when she ‘taught’ him how to first brew coffee. Instead of getting angry, he just smiles and moves forward. Why doesn’t he get upset with her? Even though she’s delayed her answer for days? 

It’s getting harder and harder to draw the line between Sasaki Haise and Kaneki Ken, aren’t they the same person at the core?

But it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t! It doesn’t change the fact that she can’t get involved with him.

Why did she even drag it this long to respond when the answer was obvious?

“Touka.” Yomo placed a fresh cup of coffee down, “Here.” 

“Thanks.” 

“Are you going to respond to him tomorrow?” 

“Yeah. There are too many risks if I get too involved with him.” 

“Touka. It’s ok if you want to be happy.” 

“I…I am happy.” And she means it. Mostly. 

So what if just a few years ago she had to throw away everything she knew without any notice? They were safer now and they managed to build up a new home (even though it’s a little emptier than before) 

So what if the last words that she said to Kaneki were ‘don’t come back’? He’s alive, that’s more than she could’ve hoped for. 

Yomo stared at her, “Is that so? It’d be great if that was the truth.” 

_ SLAM! _

“Of course it’s true!” she protested after slamming her coffee down. 

Yomo just stared at her, not getting shocked or angry. Instead he reached out and ruffled her hair, “Maybe you should give it a little more thought.” 

“Hey-” 

“I’m turning in now.” 

Touka glared as he headed upstairs but said nothing. Of course, he would just leave her alone with her thoughts like this. But what more does she have to think about? It’s true that she’s happy now... Isn’t it?

Touka sighed before taking another sip of her coffee. She knows very well that happiness comes with a price. She’s not reckless enough to gamble for more. Even with their minimal interactions now, she feels like she’s on some kind of tightrope. If she says a single wrong word or if she makes the wrong expression, everything that she’s been building up could be lost. 

This home that she built for Kaneki.

The relationship that she’s developed for Sasaki. 

It didn’t feel right to ‘be happy’ with him while he knew nothing of their past.

* * *

The rain was pouring down harshly, it almost sounded more like hail than rain. There wouldn’t be many people coming in this weather. But just as she was about to lock the door, she spotted a certain pudding haired investigator. 

Without thinking much, she opened the door and called out to him, “Sensei?” 

“Ah, Manager,” he greeted. His hair was so soaked that it was drizzling down water, “Sorry, I don’t think I can come in without making a mess.” 

“It’s fine. Please come in. Here.” 

He accepted the towel with a quiet, “Thank you.” 

“I’ll make you some coffee, so please have a seat.” 

“I’m really sorry for troubling you so much this week. I was really looking forward to your answer, whatever it may be, but if you don’t want to, I completely understand. I’m sorry if I put you in a difficult position.” 

Touka set a cup down in front of him, “Why did you ask me to go with you?” 

His face turned a little red, “U-Um… You’ve always caught my eye ever since the first time that I came here. But even though you’re smiling, you always looked a little sad… And then I tried to think of things that would make you laugh. ”

“Why do you care so much about me?” 

“Somehow, I didn’t want to leave you alone.” He gave her an embarrassed smile, “I know that’s a bad answer, but I really can’t describe it.” 

Those words… 

He told her those words right before he decided to leave. 

It’s like when he first came here and he started crying. Just what is she supposed to do when the line between Sasaki Haise and Kaneki Ken becomes blurred?    
  


It feels a little silly at how just a few words can weaken her resolve. 

_ “Touka. It’s ok if you want to be happy.” _

...Is it really ok to let herself be swayed so easily? 

“There’s someone who you remind me of. That person said they wouldn’t leave, but they did. I’ve been waiting for them to return ever since. That’s why it’s been difficult for me to give you a reply.” She looked right into his eyes, “Even so, is it still alright for me to accept your offer for this weekend?”

The moments trickled by slowly. 

She was fully expecting him to leave, because of what she said. What does Sasaki Haise think? Isn’t it unfair of her to try and find ‘happiness’ with him while she thinks of someone else?

And yet, his eyes held no contempt or judgement. Instead, he smiled warmly at her, “I’d be honored if you did.” 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The anon requested: "Hii thank you for opening request! If it's ok i wanna request a fic where Kaneki stays in Anteiku after Aogiri raid and Touka, finally realizing her feelings for Kaneki, tries in vain to communicate this to him. Please give them a happy end though!! There's too much angst in the manga already. Thank you~"

Ever since they’ve returned from retrieving Kaneki from Aogiri, things have been… different.

At first, she assumed that it was Kaneki’s appearance with his stark-white hair and wandering eyes. But it wasn’t just that. He’s been more committed to training lately and even been going on more missions to procure food with Yomo-san. It almost felt as though he was becoming more of a ghoul these days, as though the boy she used to know wasn’t there anymore. 

But even so, he still finds the time to come over to teach Hinami new words and to help Touka with her Japanese Language class. 

“Let’s stop there for today,” Kaneki advised as he began to pack away his materials. 

“Kaneki.”

He looked up at her, “Yes?”

She opens her mouth, finally feeling a little ready to tell him how she feels. She decided that she was going to do this today dammit! 

But the words won’t come out. 

So she just mutters, “Never mind.” 

“Alright then. I’ll see you tomorrow, Touka-chan.” 

As soon as he left, she slammed her hand on the table in frustration. 

Why the fuck was this so hard! 

It’s just a sentence, just three stupid words, but every time she tries to say them, she gets too embarrassed to say them!

There had to be an easier way to go about this, but how? Should s he just ask someone about this?

  
It seemed awkward if she were to ask the manager or Irimi-san or Koma-san. Yomo-san… Probably wouldn’t be too useful. She doubts that Hinami would know much on the topic. Like hell she’ll ask shitty Nishiki. 

So who else does that leave? 

“So what do you think I should do Yoriko?” 

“Hm… I don’t know much about confessing either….Ah, why don’t you read some manga?” Yoriko suggested to her. 

“Manga?”

“Yep! If you’re having problems with confessing, then maybe reading shoujo manga will give you some ideas on how to do it. I’ll lend you some of my favorites!” 

“Ok…” She’s never really read manga before, but at this point, she’ll try anything. 

“But, since it’s you Touka-chan, I’m sure that everything will go well.” 

“It’d be nice if it did.” 

* * *

Touka slammed the book shut in frustration.

How stupid! What kind of illogical story was that! It’s like one second, the protagonist can’t stand him, but once he treats her a little less like an annoyance, she just decides to confess to him straight off the bat? And he just fucking accepts her confession? Acting as if he’s been in love with her all along? Fucking bastard, if you liked her, then why’d you treat her like a piece of crap for the majority of the story!

Touka sighed. Maybe shoujo manga wasn’t the best way to go.

That last book aside, most of them involved the protagonist not being able to convey their feelings towards their love interest due to a fear of rejection. 

Was that the reason why she was hesitant to confess her feelings?

… 

Well that  _ might  _ be a factor. 

To begin with, she’s not good with emotions. Emotions can show a ghoul’s weakness. In the ghoul world, it’s rare for someone to show much emotion. Normally, that gets you killed. That’s why she has to fight every fight as though it's her last, in order to survive. 

‘Peace’ is just a temporary state. It’s so easy for things to change, for things to be lost. 

Just look at what happened to Kaneki! 

How within a matter of days, he completely changed and he… He’ll never be the same as before. Now, more than ever, he’s desperately trying to gain more power and strength so that he doesn’t have to lose anything anymore. 

But while doing that, he’s just increasing his chances of dying. 

What if… What if he just disappears one day? 

What if he gets captured again by some torturing maniac and he can’t survive through it again? 

If that happens again...Then just how much will she regret not telling him of what he means to her?

She doesn’t want these feelings to go unsaid. 

“Hina, I’m going out for a bit,” she announced as she quickly put her shoes on.

Hinami poked out her head in confusion, “Onee-chan?”

“I’ll be back soon.”

She was already out the door as Hinami said, “Take care.” 

If she hurries, maybe she can catch him at Anteiku. If not, she’ll just have to ask Manager where he lives or something. If she didn’t hurry, maybe she’ll miss him and lose the nerve to confess to him. 

As soon as she opened the door to Aneteiku, she asked, “Kaneki, where is he?”

“He just left, so-”

“Thanks!” 

She ran, constantly searching for that white head of hair. There! He’s on the bridge!

“Kaneki!” 

“What’s wrong, Touka-chan?” 

“I need to tell you something.” 

“What is it?” 

“I…I’m not good at crap like this, but…” She clenched onto the edge of her skirt. Say it, she just needs to say it! Touka took a deep breath and just tried not to stumble over her words, “I like you. So… If something happens to you or if you suddenly disappear, I’ll be sad.” 

There was nothing but the sound of cars around them. 

But at least she could say it. 

Touka turned around. 

“T-That’s all I wanted to say so-”

But Kaneki grabbed her hand before she could run away. “Touka-chan.”

“What…?” 

“Thank you.” 

He was smiling. It was different from the smiles that he’d been showing lately. Right now, it almost felt like they had returned to the days where Kaneki would smile more happily, instead of just smiling to reassure someone. 

But it still was a little different.

Because as she was focused on his smile, he was leaning in to kiss her. 

Although shocked, she quickly returned the gesture, basking in this moment where they could just focus on each other. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The request was: "I wanna request touka announcing her 2nd pregnancy to kaneki please, and maybe to ichika and the others later after that 🥰🥰"

As a wife and a mother, Touka has able to live a peaceful life. She doesn’t have to worry about being outed as a ghoul. Yoriko and her don’t have to keep any secrets from each other. She can see Ayato and other important people often without needing to hide in the dark or underground. Most of all, she can live with her husband and child together.

Well… 

Touka looked down at her belly and smiled. 

It would be more accurate to say ‘children’ instead of ‘child’. She wonders how they’ll react when she announces the news? 

“Welcome home, Touka!” her husband greeted her with a cheery smile and a kiss on her forehead. 

“I’m back. Where’s Ichika?”

“Oh, she got a little tired after playing, so she’s napping right now,” he explained as he helped her out of her coat, “What did the doctor say? Did they say you’re throwing up because of the new food?” 

“No, I’m pregnant.” 

“Oh oka-” Ken paused and stared straight at her, his smile was stuck on his face, but she could see that he was doing mental cartwheels in his head, “What?” 

“Like I said, I’m pregnant.” His face remained frozen. Huh, she thought he’d have a bigger reaction. 

“R-Really…?” Ken stepped closer to her, hesitantly. 

“Yeah. They said I’m about 4 weeks now?” 

“We get to have another kid,” he mumbled in awe,“This is real, right? It’s not a dream?” 

“It’s real.” 

“Another baby…” Without much warning, he pulled her into a hug, “We’re going to have another baby! That’s right! Do you think they’ll be a girl or a boy this time? I should start thinking of names early this time! Maybe something that’ll match Ichika’s name or your name or, or….” 

She chuckled a little at her husband’s antics, “You sap.”

He hugged her tighter and whispered, “Thank you Touka.” 

Touka smiled. 

“Papa? Mama?” Their precious little girl was rubbing her eyes, did she wake up because of how loud Ken was? “Why are you two so lovey-dovey?”

“Ichika, today I got some very happy news.” 

“What?” 

“The doctor told me that there’s a baby growing in my stomach. That means you’re going to be a big sister.” 

Ichika’s eyes immediately lit up. “Really?! When!” 

“They have to stay in my tummy until they grow strong enough so it’s going to take a while.” 

Her daughter smiled brightly, “I wanna meet them soon!”

* * *

The second Ayato saw her, he asked, “What the hell? Why the fuck is your stomach like that again!”

Touka looked down at her showing tummy, before looking back at Ayato’s bulging eyes, “Oh, I’m pregnant again. Did I forget to tell you?”

“Yes!” 

“Sorry.” Ayato’s been busy lately, so she hadn’t seen him in a while. 

His face was scrunched up as he stared right at her belly, “It’s weird…”

“Ayato-kun, you shouldn’t say that,” Hinami scolded lightly, pulling at Ayato’s side. Ayato was just mumbling some nonsense while continuing to focus on Touka’s rounded belly, “Congratulations Onee-chan.”

“Thank you.” 

“Have you told anyone yet?”

“Not everyone.” Once she’s a little farther along, they’ll probably announce it to everyone else. For now, they’ve just told the people closest to them.

Ken immediately told Hide the news, who congratulated them immediately. Hide’s been around more often to help watch Ichika since she’s been getting so big. 

When she told Yomo, he immediately rushed to the nearest temple (something about praying for good health?). 

Tsukiyama found out soon after and bearing another long list of potential names (she had to straight out refuse any of his name suggestions, she’s not naming her child Delicious). 

Nishiki just grumbled about how she should get Ken to deliver her food this time around, but then showed up the next day with Kimi’s newest round of experimental ghoul food. 

Yoriko was so excited since she’s also expecting. Touka did think that it would be nice if their kids got to grow up together when she was younger, but she never expected happening until now. 

Ayao rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. “Well... Congrats Aneki.”

She chuckled as she patted his head, “Thanks.” 

Touka looked down at her belly and rubbed it gently. There were still a lot of things that they needed to prepare, but the most important thing was already ready and that was that this child is going to be surrounded by a loving family who are eagerly waiting to meet them. 

She couldn’t wait until this child could say hello to the world. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The request: "Um hello are you still accepting request? If so then I'd like to request this scenario when 125 didn't happen. So when everyone relocated underground, they're scheming a plan to get those two together because Kaneki and Touka have been awkward since their talk in the cafe. I hope this makes sense"

Ever since they’ve retreated to the underground bunker, Nishiki noticed something odd going on. Specifically something odd going on between Touka and Kaneki. He couldn’t quite place his finger on it at first, because there’s some more important things going on, like having a huge group of ghouls safely go into the sewers without the CCG knowing, rounding up materials and beds, not to mention, he’s going through some shit, because he just found out Kimi was involved with that shitty doctor _because of him_ -

But he’s decided to just go through all these issues one at a time. 

So when he saw the intense bags underneath Kaneki’s eyes, he said, “You look exhausted.” 

“I was just looking over some plans,” Kaneki mumbled while scratching his head, “Did you need something?” 

“Yeah, why the fuck are you avoiding Touka?” 

“I-It’s nothing,” Kaneki answered as he placed his hand on his chin, “And I don’t think that it really affects you, Nishiki-senpai.” 

“You’re so awkward around each other, it makes me fucking cringe, it’s affecting me.” 

“It’s really nothing…” he insisted, not meeting the other man’s eyes. What the fuck did Touka say to him? “More importantly, have you figured out a route that we can safely procure food for everyone?” 

“Yeah, yeah.” 

Once he was done telling Kaneki about the new information they acquired, Touka came into the room with two mugs, “I brought some coffee.”

“Thanks.” 

Kaneki didn’t utter a single syllable, he didn’t even look at her.

But instead of saying anything to him, she just mumbled, “Later.” 

What the hell was that! It felt like he was a side character in some obscure romantic comedy with Touka and Kaneki as the idiot protagonists! 

How long have they been acting like this? They were normal enough back at the cafe. 

“Nishiki-san.” 

“Hm? What is it, Hinami?” 

“Are you also worried about Onee-chan and Onii-chan?”

“ ‘Also’?” 

“Please follow me.” 

Where the hell was she taking him? 

He followed her towards the hall where the rooms were in a less than ideal living condition, but Hinami didn’t seem too concerned with that. Finally, towards the end of the hall, she opened the door. Inside was literally everyone from the cafe and Banjou-san’s group, sitting around a table with a haphazardly made sign on the wall that said ‘PLAN KANETOU: SUGGESTIONS NEEDED’. 

Well this is… Weird. It felt like he really was in some alternate world, where the main goal of the story is to get these two idiots, who are obviously in love with each other, together. 

“Should we lock them in a room until they talk to each other?” Banjou suggested. 

Tsukiyama tutted, “Non, non, that’s too juvenile!” 

“They’d probably break it open anyways,” Yomo pointed out logically. 

“What we need is a grand plan for them to end up in each other’s arms again!” Tsukiyama shouted, “That’s right! What if someone confesses to Touka-san? That way, Kaneki-kun will be forced to act otherwise he’ll lose her forever!”

“Who’s gonna do that without getting killed?”

“By who?”

“Either of them! Do you really think that Touka would just willingly accept someone else if they confessed to her?”

Yomo quietly answered, “She’d obliterate them.” 

“We don’t have time for that, anyone got a more effective plan?” 

“What if we do a duel to the death?”

“Between who?!” 

The younger Kirishima sighed loudly and got out of his chair, “This is stupid.” 

“Ayato-kun? Where are you going?” 

“I’m gonna deal with this directly.”

* * *

“Oi, Kaneki.” 

Kaneki looked up, “What is it Ayato-kun?”

“Man, you really do look like shit.” 

“Ah… I was thinking about taking a break soon.” He already finished the cup of coffee that Touka gave him. He wished he had more coffee, but it wouldn’t feel right to ask Touka for any, especially with their current awkwardness. “So what exactly did you need from me Ayato-kun?”

“I need you and Aneki to just fucking talk to each other.”

Kaneki’s eye twitched. Was it getting that noticeable? “I don’t think what happens between me and Touka-chan concerns you,” he calmly stated while turning towards his work again, acting like Ayato’s words didn’t affect him that much. Even though it might’ve. A bit. 

“Damn right it does, that’s my sister, I care about her, so it involves me,” he snarled out, “Why are you two avoiding each other?”

This isn’t the conversation that he wanted to have today. Especially with Ayato of all people. How could Kaneki just straight out tell him that Touka was offering herself to him? It’s not like he’s completely oblivious to Touka’s implications, what he doesn’t understand is why would she just offer it so, so casually to him? 

What has he done to earn that privilege? Touka had been patiently waiting for him to return even when he didn’t have his memories, even when she wasn’t sure that he’d be alive, even before the Anteiku Raid. Meanwhile, what has he done for her? Nothing. He’s given her nothing but worries. 

So why would she offer something that should be cherished to someone like him? 

“Do I deserve to be with her? ”

The younger man sighed heavily, “Man, I didn’t think you’d be this much of an idiot. If you’re not gonna be with her, then who else do you expect to make her happy?” 

“I’m sure that anyone else would make her happier than me.” 

“Are you stupid? Aneki _chose_ you. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have waited for you for so fucking long. Doesn’t that mean anything to you? It can’t be anyone besides you at this point.” Kaneki’s eyes widened at Ayato’s declaration. “Instead of moping around, why don’t you think about how you can make her happy, shitty Kaneki?”

Making her happy… He wonders if it’s really alright if _he’s_ the person who can make her the happiest. 

Kaneki chuckled. 

It’s a little strange hearing this from Ayato of all people, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t appreciate it. 

“Thank you Ayato-kun.” 

“Yeah, yeah, just hurry up and fucking talk to her won’t you?” 

* * *

So he goes to find Touka. But he doesn’t really have a plan as to how to find her, so he just starts going down the halls and asking around. He’s bound to run into her somewhere right? 

And he does find her, but she just mutters, ”Sorry.”

She turned, intending to walk away from him, but he shouted, “Wait!” She stopped. That’s a good sign, right? “C-Can we talk?” 

She turned her body, but she wasn’t facing him.“What do you want to talk about?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” 

There’s a lot that he feels like he should apologize for. Like how he’s been awkward with her lately. And how he avoids her whenever they’re in the same room. And how they haven’t even talked to each other directly, especially about… 

“I’m sorry for avoiding you, I didn’t mean it to, it’s just that… After our last conversation, I didn’t know how to look you in the eye. It’s not the kind of conversation that I expected from you either, so I was shocked, you know.” Is he rambling? He feels like he’s rambling. “I’m really sorry about how I reacted before.” 

Touka sighed heavily, “Kaneki, I get it, you’re not interested in me like that. It’s fine-” 

“It’s not like that!” he quickly insisted. 

“Then what is it?” 

He immediately felt his face go red, so he tried covering his face as he said, “You shouldn’t have just offered it so casually to me.” 

But she couldn’t hear him, “Huh?” 

So he sighed and removed his hand from his face, hoping that his face wasn’t red. “That’s something that you should treasure more, so you shouldn’t have just said it so bluntly.” 

He thought she was going to hit him, but instead she just pulled on his cheeks. “Idiot.” 

“T-Touka-” 

“You’re seriously an idiot sometimes, you know that?” It was the first time that they were looking straight at each other since their talk in the cafe. He could see himself reflected in Touka’s eyes. He wondered if she was seeing herself reflected in his eyes? “I offered only because it’s you.” 

Ah… He really does love her. 

But still, a fragment of fear forced him to ask, “Are you sure you want me?” 

She chuckled. “I’ve wanted to be with you for a long time Kaneki.” She stepped closer to him, looking straight into his eyes, “Do you want to be with me?” 

Without hesitation, he answers, “Yes.”

Touka smiled, “Then, it’s settled. You’re mine and I’m yours.” 

He returned her smile. “Thank you Touka-chan.” 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For this request: "Touken angsty fluff pleasee. Or fluffy angst, whatever you want"

“Touka-chan,” a voice gently called out. 

“Hmm…” It still felt far too early to open her eyes. 

The voice called out again, “Touka-chan.” This time it was followed by a tap on her shoulder. 

Wha-

She opened her eyes to see a familiar white haired boy smiling at her. “Good morning, Touka-chan. You fell asleep for a long time.” 

“I did?” She looked around. They were in Anteiku, just the two of them. It seemed so quiet and peaceful, but…This, something about this didn’t seem right.

“You must have been studying hard for your entrance exams. “ She glanced down at the mess of notes and highlighted books that were down in front of her. It was a familiar sight, but it felt like she had been sleeping for so long that she forgot everything that she was studying. “Here, I made you some coffee.”

Touka glanced down at the cup. It smells good, but there were so many odd blobs of white on top of it. “What’s this supposed to be?”

“I… tried making a rabbit,” he mumbled while rubbing his neck in embarrassment, “But it didn’t come out too well, did it?” 

She smiled a little at his reddened face, “It’s not your worst attempt.” 

“How is it?”

The words, “It’s good,” falls from her mouth.

But there was no taste. Just what was going on?

“Maybe with some more practice, I can do latte art as well as you.”

She chuckled, “You’re gonna need a lot more practice.” 

“Maybe when you have some free time again, you can teach me.” He smiled softly at her, “I really like them, your rabbit pictures.”

Touka’s eyes widened.

_ He smiled at her as though nothing’s changed, but she could tell that he was no longer the same.“Your rabbit pictures are good. I like them.”  _

She reached out towards the white haired boy, hoping that this was real, that he actually returned and stopped being a stupid matyr, but no matter how close he seemed, she couldn’t reach him. “Ka-” 

Before she knew it, she wasn’t in Anteiku anymore and Kaneki wasn’t in front of her anymore. 

She looked at her outstretched hand and clenched it tightly into a fist. 

Just when she thought she had finally come to terms with everything, she hadn’t.

Just when she thought she was ok, she wasn’t.

* * *

She hurried down the stairs. The cafe was already open with a few customers with Yomo-san standing behind the counter. 

“Touka.” 

“Hm?” 

“You’re late.”

“Sorry. I overslept. I’ll take the next order,” she promises as she plasters an appropriate customer smile onto her face to distract from her deep eyebags, “What can I get for you?”

“I’ll take an Americano.”

“And for you ma’am?”

“Hm... A vanilla latte for me! Can I get some latte art on it?”

“Of course, what would you like?”

“A rabbit!” A rabbit… Out of all the things this person could’ve chosen, it just had to be- “What? Can you not do it?” 

“No, we can add a rabbit. Is there anything else you’d like?” 

When they said no, Touka headed to the counter, unintentionally let out a sigh. 

A rabbit… huh? It just had to be a rabbit after a dream like that.

Yomo loomed besides her, quietly asking, “Do you want me to handle it?”

“No, I’m fine,” she answered as she grabbed two mugs. 

She’s done this time and time again. It’s practically muscle memory at this point. It’s making coffee. It’s simple. It’s really the only consistent thing that’s stayed with her all her life. 

For the americano, she just needs to make the espresso and add hot water. Easy enough. The vanilla latte is only a few more steps. Add vanilla syrup and frothed milk to the espresso base. Simple.

Then all she had to do was draw on a rabbit with milk foam as the customer requested. 

Her hands start out shaky, but her muscle memory saves her. 

She remembered that she had done this particular design so many times before. It’s one of her favorite things to draw, she adores rabbits after all. Like the rabbit hair clip and bunny plushie she had when she was younger. She would occasionally have a rabbit decorating her notebook back in school. Every time Yoriko would make food look like a bunny for her, it just made the food that much more bearable. 

She... even still has a rabbit keychain that’s tattered up hidden deep in her room that she can’t bear to part with. 

Even though it’s already been a year since Anteiku was destroyed, a year since she and Yomo have started this cafe, a year since… 

She’s resolved to wait. 

If she doesn’t wait, then what else could she do? 

It’s not like she can just force her way into the CCG and demand that they give him back. But she doesn’t want to just box Kaneki away and simply accept that he’s gone forever. She didn’t want to come to those terms yet. 

So instead she’ll wait. For as long as she needs to. 

Touka walked over to the waiting customers and set down the freshly made drinks, “Sorry for the wait. Here’s your drinks.” 

The customer smiled, “What a cute rabbit!”

Touka manages up a meager smile in return, “Thank you very much.” 

Even if it’s agonizingly painful. 

Even if it’s futile. 

She’ll remain here, waiting for him. 


End file.
